PESTIGIS: Decision support system for the assessment of environmental impact of pesticides in Lombardy, Italy

PESTIGIS is a user-friendly Decision Support System, developed in a GIS env ironment, aimed at the identification of vulnerable areas at risk of pestic ide pollution. PESTIGIS adopts scientifically sound models for prediction o f pesticide leaching and accumulation in top soil (0-5 cm). Three different predictive models have been implemented in the system: the AF/RF screening index and the PRZM-2 deterministic model to assess leaching to groundwater, and a simple algorithm to assess pesticide concentration i n top soil. The area considered in the system is Lombardy, an Italian regio n whose plain is highly cultivated with intensive use of pesticides. A data set including information on soil, topography and land use, along wi th detailed information on crop patterns, climate of the area and pesticide information have been integrated in the GIS environment (ArcView + Spatial Analyst - ESRI inc.) to model pesticide fate at regional scale. PESTIGIS output is represented by thematic maps of pesticide contamination potential and pollution risk.